Where’s the Joey?

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A Reading A–Z Level J Leveled Book
Word Count: 362

LEVELED BOOK • J

Written by Torran Anderson

Visit www.readinga-z.com
for thousands of books and materials.

www.readinga-z.com


Wh

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ey?

h
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t
J
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Written by Torran Anderson
www.readinga-z.com


Table of Contents
What’s a Joey? ....................................... 4
A Jumping Joey....................................... 7
A Joey That Lives in a Tree............... 9
Joey the Screamer .............................. 11
Protecting the Marsupials.................. 14
Marsupials Are Special
Animals................................................... 15
Glossary. . .................................................... 16
Where’s the Joey? • Level J

3



A two-week-old red kangaroo joey drinks milk while safe in its
mom’s pouch.

Table of Contents

What’s a Joey?

What’s a Joey? ....................................... 4
A Jumping Joey....................................... 7

A joey is a baby marsupial

A Joey That Lives in a Tree............... 9

(mar-SOO-pee-ul). A marsupial

Joey the Screamer .............................. 11

is an unusual type of animal. Its

Protecting the Marsupials.................. 14

babies are carried in a pouch, or

Marsupials Are Special

pocket, on the mother’s belly. As it


Animals................................................... 15

grows, the little joey stays hidden

Glossary. . .................................................... 16

inside the pouch.

Where’s the Joey? • Level J

3

4


A red-necked wallaby and her joey. Many wallabies are named
for where they live, such as the brush or rock wallabies. Others
are named for their color or markings.

Safe inside, the tiny joey drinks
milk and grows while it is carried
around. Even after it can walk, the
joey may still ride in mom’s pouch.
Where’s the Joey? • Level J

5


Asia


PACIFIC
OCEAN
INDIAN
OCEAN

Australia

SOUTHERN
OCEAN

Tasmania

Australia is not connected to any other continent by land. Over
time, many animals that live there became different from other
animals in the world.

A red-necked wallaby and her joey. Many wallabies are named
for where they live, such as the brush or rock wallabies. Others
are named for their color or markings.

There are over three hundred types

Safe inside, the tiny joey drinks

of marsupials. Most of them live in

milk and grows while it is carried

Australia (aw-STRAYL-yuh) and eat


around. Even after it can walk, the

plants. Let’s look at a few kinds of

joey may still ride in mom’s pouch.

marsupials and their joeys.

Where’s the Joey? • Level J

5

6


A Jumping Joey
This joey stays in its mother’s pouch
for eight months while it grows very
tall. Its feet and tail grow very long,
too. Can you guess what it is?
Where’s the Joey? • Level J

7


Australia

A female red kangaroo and her joey. Red kangaroos live across
the vast plains of Australia.


A Jumping Joey

It’s a red kangaroo!

This joey stays in its mother’s pouch

A red kangaroo is the largest

for eight months while it grows very

marsupial. It can stand over six feet

tall. Its feet and tail grow very long,

tall and weigh 200 lbs (91 kg). It can

too. Can you guess what it is?

jump 30 feet (9 m) with each leap!

Where’s the Joey? • Level J

7

8


A Joey That Lives in a Tree
When grown, this little joey will look
like a furry teddy bear with big

ears. It will live most of its life sitting
in trees and eating leaves. Can you
guess what it is?
Where’s the Joey? • Level J

9


Australia

Koalas do not make ground nests or burrows. They eat, sleep, and
raise their families in trees.

It’s a koala!
A Joey That Lives in a Tree

A koala lives, eats, and sleeps

When grown, this little joey will look

in eucalyptus (yoo-kuh-LIP-tus)

like a furry teddy bear with big

trees. It is happy just to sit and

ears. It will live most of its life sitting

eat lots of leaves every day.


in trees and eating leaves. Can you

A koala usually only walks around

guess what it is?

at night.

Where’s the Joey? • Level J

9

10


Joey the Screamer
This marsupial mom might carry
three or four noisy joeys in her
pouch at one time. Her little joeys
can scream very loudly. What are
they?
Where’s the Joey? • Level J

11


Australia

Tasmanian devils are in danger of dying off because of disease
and hunters.


Joey the Screamer

They are Tasmanian devils!

This marsupial mom might carry

The Tasmanian devil gets its name

three or four noisy joeys in her

from its loud screams, sharp teeth,

pouch at one time. Her little joeys

bad smell, and wild look. It is a

can scream very loudly. What are

meat-eater, and lives only on the

they?

island of Tasmania (taz-MAY-nee-uh).

Where’s the Joey? • Level J

11

12



Do You Know?
All marsupial pouches are not the same. A kangaroo’s
pouch opens sideways across the front of its mother.
Digging marsupials, such as wombats, koalas, and
Tasmanian devils, all have pouches that open towards the
rear of the mother. The rear-facing pouch protects the baby
from flying dirt or tree bark when the mother is digging.

Where’s the Joey? • Level J

13


This model shows what a Tasmanian tiger looked like. The last
known Tasmanian tiger died in a zoo in 1936.

Protecting the Marsupials
Most marsupials eat plants, and
many, like the koala, live quietly in
forests. When those forests are cut

Do You Know?

down, their homes, food, and safety

All marsupial pouches are not the same. A kangaroo’s
pouch opens sideways across the front of its mother.
Digging marsupials, such as wombats, koalas, and

Tasmanian devils, all have pouches that open towards the
rear of the mother. The rear-facing pouch protects the baby
from flying dirt or tree bark when the mother is digging.

Where’s the Joey? • Level J

are lost. Other marsupials have lost
their sources of food to herds of
grazing cows or growing cities.
13

14


Marsupials Are Special Animals
Most marsupials and their joeys live
in only one place on Earth. We need
to protect their special habitats
and food sources—so we will always
know where the joeys are.
Learn More About Marsupials
Australian marsupials look different from most
animals—and they have unusual names, too.
Bandicoot
Bettong

Bilby
Dibbler

Where’s the Joey? • Level J


Numbat
Quoll

Quokka
Sugar Glider

15


Glossary
Australia (n.) an island country and
continent in the South
Pacific Ocean (p. 6)

Marsupials Are Special Animals
Most marsupials and their joeys live
in only one place on Earth. We need
to protect their special habitats

habitat (n.)

the natural environment
of a plant or animal (p. 15)

joey (n.)

a young marsupial such as
a kangaroo, wallaby, koala,
or opossum (p. 4)


marsupial (n.) a mammal whose young
are born very immature
and continue to develop
in the mother’s pouch (p. 4)
pouch (n.)

and food sources—so we will always
know where the joeys are.

Tasmania (n.) a state of Australia made
up of many islands; an
island southeast of the
continent of Australia
(p. 12)

Learn More About Marsupials
Australian marsupials look different from most
animals—and they have unusual names, too.
Bandicoot
Bettong

Bilby
Dibbler

Where’s the Joey? • Level J

Numbat
Quoll


an area of an animal’s
body, shaped like a pocket,
for carrying something
(p. 4)

Quokka
Sugar Glider

15

16


Where’s the Joey?

ey?

h
e
t
J
s
’
o
e
r

Wh
e


A Reading A–Z Level J Leveled Book
Word Count: 362

LEVELED BOOK • J

Written by Torran Anderson

Visit www.readinga-z.com
for thousands of books and materials.

www.readinga-z.com


Wh
e

ey?

h
e
t
J
s
’
o
e
r

Photo Credits:
Front Cover: © Tim Laman/National Geographic Stock; back cover: © Art Wolfe/

Photo Researchers, Inc.; title page: © Morales/age fotostock; page 3: © Stephen
J. Krasemann/All Canada Photos/Corbis; page 4: © ANT Photo Library/Photo
Researchers, Inc.; page 5: © John Cancalosi/age fotostock; page 7: © Wrangel/
Dreamstime.com; page 8: © M Willemeit/Blickwinkel/age fotostock; page 9:
© Robert Harding World Imagery/Alamy; page 10: © Ben Mcleish/Dreamstime.com;
page 11: © Sanphotos/Dreamstime.com; page 12: © Dave Watts/Alamy; page 13
(top): © iStockphoto.com/MoMorad; page 13 (bottom): © Pete Oxford/Minden
Pictures; page 14: © Tom McHugh/Photo Researchers, Inc.; page 15:
© iStockphoto.com/Andras Deak
Front cover: A female kangaroo checking on her baby
Back cover: A female red kangaroo and her growing joey
Title page: A female red-necked wallaby in Queensland, Australia
Table of contents: The opossum is the only marsupial that lives in North America.

Written by Torran Anderson
www.readinga-z.com

Where’s the Joey?
Level J Leveled Book
© Learning A–Z
Written by Torran Anderson
All rights reserved.
www.readinga-z.com

Correlation
LEVEL J
Fountas & Pinnell
Reading Recovery
DRA


J
17
18